Dr. Anthony Lombardi
Science & Tech • Fitness & Health
A community for Acupuncturists to learn and receive support about physical assessment, electro-acupuncture, motor point acupuncture, orthopedics, case studies, and much more.
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Keep it simple especially when talking with patients

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
-Albert Einstein

I think it's just human nature to have to complicate things. But when you're in the clinic, that is no time to be an academic or philosopher.

I've always harped on clinical results. Working in the clinic is working in the trenches so to speak. This is where the rubber meets the road. Any flowery ideas of acupuncture or Chinese medicine, all the lovely beautiful concepts and theories, they mean nothing. Results are the only thing that matters - and the treatments behind them. While many think this disparages the "art", what it actually is, is putting the patient first. I will never apologize for putting the patient above ideology that doesn't deliver results, and only serves to comfort one's ego.

I've seen so many peeps brag about what they can do. What they know, how they can "control qi", or the degrees they have. Something is always missing in this bragging though - the patient.

Learning is fun, philosophy is extremely interesting, exploring new idea is important. But in the clinic it's all about keeping it simple.

Likewise, how are you explaining things to your patients? Are you lecturing on the differences between acupuncture and dry needling? Are you over explaining how your treatments are helping them? Have you noticed they glaze over after about 30 seconds?

It's best to keep working on your scripts and saying things very direct. Give the patients what they need - results. We excel in the clinic, delivering the tools we've learned. If we're talking, we're not working (unless you can do both at the same time).

And please, keep it simple!

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What else you may like…
Videos
Posts
February 14, 2026
Calling EXSTORE Grads

5 patients on needles as i make this video….

00:00:42
January 10, 2026
Foot & Ankle Disfunction

January’s webinar is here! This one is a favorite of mine because it includes the fascial lens when teaching the movement of the foot and ankle. It cover anatomy, fascia, and accessory motion of the foot and ankle. Definitely worth checking out.

December 29, 2025
Gut inflammation related to knee OA

Give this a read after you watch the video: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7689775/

00:01:12
LIVE LAB THIS SATURDAY!

Join us Saturday February 28th at 12:30 pm EST!

Live lab is back this Saturday! Let’s nerd out together! 🤓
NOTE: registration is required 👉🏽 https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/T0US6enHT5ywbo-ebRN_IQ

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L Leg and Foot pain

62 year old female with Left Lateral Leg Pain and heaviness. Constant pain radiating down lateral left thigh and calf into foot with numbness and cold feeling primarily in big toe and pins-and-needles sensation throughout upper foot. Whole foot is very sensitive.

Describes discomfort as annoying, rating current pain 3-4/10 with worst episodes reaching 5/10.

Experiences occasional cramping in foot and nighttime charley horse in calf, which improve with daily banana consumption.

Began 2 years ago with sudden severe low back pain. And toes in L foot suddenly went numb and went up side of leg.

Hospitalization for suspected stroke (ruled out). Diagnosis at that time was L4/L5 nerve impingement.

Otherwise very healthy and now NO LBP whatsoever. Walks 4-5 miles/day. Skis (and notices it’s harder to turn with left leg).

1st visit (1/20/26)

EXSTORE Scan:

ROM:
SLR: L-50 / R-60 (limited by hamstring tightness)

Inhibition:

  • L TFL
  • R psoas (slight?)
  • L Glute Min
  • L Glute Max (testing elicited cramping in hamstring when getting ...

Updating my 1 page waffle House order sheet for 2026.

I believe I have all the exstore tests.

Trying to take a picture and be done.

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